Flume.



ELGIE- c. AULD, or sco'rrnarn, PENNSYLVANiA.

FLUME.

nesoeso. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26 19 17.

Application filed February 14, 1916. Serial No. 78,135;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELGIE 0. Anne, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scottdale, in the county of West-moreland and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1nFlumes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of fiumes used in conductingwater or. similar liquids from a place of supply to a place of furthertreatment or use. While not limited to such use the invention moreparticularly relates to the construction of flumes for use in conveyingand aerating or otherwise treating acid mine water.

One object of the invention is to provide a flume of novel construction.having 1mproved means whereby water or other fluid is automaticallyagitated and aerated and in some cases oxidized during the flow of thefluid therethrough.

A further object of provision of a tures of construction andcombinations of parts shown in the drawings and covered by the appendedclaims and to be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring now to the drawings forming part of the specification, Figure1 is a lon-. gitudinal sectional side elevation showing a flumeconstructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation on a larger scale, the section beingtaken on the line II--II of Fig. 1, showing a double compartment flumeas constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

Fig. '3 is a detail plan on an enlarged scale with part of the coverremoved show ing details in the construction of the flume of Figs. 1 and2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional side elevation of the portion of theflume shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top lan of one section of the removable cover orming part ofthe flume shown in the preceding figures.

The flume illustrated is provided with a vertical partition by which itis separated my invention is the lengthwise into two separate andindepend-' ent compartments, and is constructed of wood, althoughconcrete or other suitable building material or combinatlon of maflumehaving the novel featerials may be .used when found necessary ordesirable.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 2 designates the bottom, and 3and 4 the side walls of the flume. In the construction shown a verticalpartition 5 is provided which extends from end to end of and divides theflume into two separate and independent compartments 6 and 7 Positionedon top of the flume is a cover which is made in sections 2 so as to beremovable to enable any particular section to be removed withoutdisturbance of the remaining sections and thereby permit of inspectlonof or repairs to the interior of the flume at any point in the lengththereof.

Secured within each compartment 6 and 7 at suitable short intervals inthe length thereof, is a series of bottom baffles 8 which.

extend transversely between the opposite faces of the side wall 3 or 4.-and the central partition 5. These bottom baflies extend upwardly withthe upper edge 9 thereof termlnating below the top of the-flume and aseries of openings 10, which as shown are triangular in outline, areprovided in the lower edge of the bottom bafiles to permit of any sludgeor finely divided solids beingcarried from one side to the other of thebafiies 8 and eventually to reach. the discharge end 11 of the flume,the bottom of the flume forming thebase or bottom side of the triangularopenings.

Between each of the adjoining bottom bafiles 8 is a depending baffle orpartition 12 which extends vertically from the top of the flume to apoint some distance above the bottom 2. The lower edge 13 of the seriesof upper bafiies terminates short of the bottom 2, and as shown, thelower edges 13 of the depending baffles 01' partitions are in a planebelow the plane of the upper-edges 9 of the series of bottom baflies 8.

The depending baffles 12 near the'upper edge thereof, is provided with a.series of recesses or openings 14, rectangular in outllne as shown, topermit of air passing from one side to the other of the dependingbaffles without passing beneath these baflies, the air flowing in thedirection in which the watcr is carried or from the entrance end 19toward the discharge end 11 of the flume.

A series of openings 15 is provided in each of the sections 2 of thetopor cover, the

row of openings 15 in each section of the top being located closelyadjacent to one of the depending baffies or partitions 12 on thedischarge side thereof, the purpose of the openings 15 being to admitair, the flow of which is induced by the'flow of water or other fluidthrough the flume.

The entrance end 19 'and also the discharge end 11 of the flume is openso as to permit of the free entrance and discharge of the water or fluidconveyed therethrough.

Battens 16 are provided on the sections of the cover or top, and battens17 and 18' also are provided on the bottom and sides of the flume atsuitable intervals in the length thereof.'

In the use of my improved flume it will be located so as to extendlengthwise with its entrance end 19 in position to receive the water orother fluid from the source of supply, and .with its discharge end 11 inposition to deliver the treated water or other fluid into the propertank or receptacle.

When a stream-of neutralized mine water or other fluid being treated isdelivered into the receiving end of the flume it will flow therethrough,the bottom 2 being inclined at a sufficient angle to the horizontal tocause the rapid flow of fluid through the compartments. 1

The stream of water or other fluid in flowing through the flume engageswith and is backed up by and flows over the first of the series ofbottom bafiles 6 and is then engaged and its course obstructed anddeflected by the first of the depending baffles or partitions 12underwhich it passes toward the discharge end of the flume. The water orother fluid is successively engaged by alternate bottom baflles 8 anddepending baflles or partitions 12 and is thereby caused to flow throughthe flume from one end to the other in a tortuous path. Any sludge orheavy solids in the water which become precipitated during the passageof the water through the flume will be caused to pass from one side tothe other of the lower series of baflles 8 by the current of water whichflows through the openings or pas sages 10 in the lower edge of thelower series of baflies and will be discharged from the end of theflume.

The depending partitions 12 cause an air pocket to form behind each ofthese partitions and the flowing stream of water'compresses the air inthe so formed pockets to a greater or lesser extent, depending upon thevelocity of the flowing stream of water,

and causes agitation of the water so that the water becomes thoroughlyaerated and, in the case of neutralized mine water, to become thoroughlyoxidized in passing through the flume. The rapidly flowing stream ofwater will also induce the flow of air into the flume through the seriesof openings 15 provided for that purpose in the sectional cover or top2*, and in this way cause the air to become mixed with and furtheraerate and oxidize the neutralized mine water.

The provision of the successive and alternate top baffles 12 and bottombafiles 8 causes successively difi'erentquantities of air to beintimately mixed with the'water in passing through the flume, avoids thenecessity of using mechanical means for aerating and oxidizing the waterand avoids the use of a supply of compressed air to aerate the water.

The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art. The apparatus is simple and will not require frequent orexpensive repairs. The fluid in passing through the flume is agitated byand becomes intimately mixed with air and is aerated, and with an acidfluid is oxidized thereby without the use of mechanical means andwithout interruption of the flow of the fluid.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of the partsmay bemade without departing from my invention. The,

flume may have a single compartment or a series of compartments, insteadof two compartments as is shown in the drawings. The construction andlocation of the openings in the baflles and in the top or cover of theflume may be varied and other changes may be made without departing frommy invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim v 1. A flume comprising walls forming a bottom and sides, aninlet at one end to admit a stream of liquid, an outlet at the oppositeendto discharge said liquid, the bottom of said flume being inclineddownwardly toward the discharge end thereof, a sectional top forming aremovable cover, and a series of transverse baflles within the flumewith part of said series of baflies extending verticallyupward from thebottom and part extending vertically downward from the top to anintermediate point in the height of the flume, and with the upper edgeof said upwardly extending baflles in a plane above the plane of thelower edge of the'depending baflles.

2. A flume comprising walls forming a bottom and sides, an inlet at oneend to admit a stream of liquid, an outlet at the opposite end todischarge said liquid, the bottom of said flume being inclineddownwardly toward the discharge end thereof, and a series of transversebafiles within the flume, with part of said series of baffles extendingvertically upward from the bottom and part extending vertically downwardfrom the top to an intermediate point in the height of the flume, andwith the upper edge of said upwardly extending bafiles in a plane abovethe plane of the lower edge of the depending baflles, and a series ofopenings in the upwardly extending baflles adjacent to the bottom of thefiume forming passages connecting opposite sides of said baffles.

3. A fiume comprising walls forming a bottom and sides, a sectional topforming a removable cover, and a series of transverse bafiles within thefiume, with part of said series of baffles extending vertically upwardfrom the bottom and part extending vertically downward from the top toan intermediate point in the height of the fiume, and with the upperedge of said upwardly extending baffles in a plane above the plane ofthe lower edge of the depending baflles, and a series of openings in thedepending baffles adjacent the upper edge thereof forming air passagesconnecting opposite sides of the baflles.

i 4. A fiume comprising walls forming a bottom, sides, and a sectionaltop forming a removable cover, a series of transverse baflles within thefiume with part of said series of baffles extending vertically upwardfrom the bottom and part extending vertically downward from the top toan intermediate point in the height of the fiume, and with the upperedge of said upwardly extending bafiles in a plane above the plane ofthe lower edge of the depending baflles, a series of openings in theupwardly extending bafiles adjacent the bottom'of-the fiume connectingopposite sides of the baffles, and a series of openings in the dependingbaffles adjacent the upper edge thereof forming air passages connectingopposite sides of the baflles.

5. A fiume comprising walls forming a bottom, sides, and a sectional.top forming a removable cover, a series of transverse baflles within thefiume with part of said series of battles extending vertically upwardfrom the bottom and part extending vertically downward from the top toan intermediate point in the height of the fiume, and with the upperedge of said upwardly extending baflles in a plane above the plane ofthe lower edge of the depending bafiles, a series of openings in theupwardly extending baffles adjacent the bottom of the fiume connectingopposite sides of the bafiles, a series of openings in the dependingba'fiies adjacent the upper edge thereof forming air passages connectingopposite sides of the baflles, and a series of openings in the removablecover adjacent to the depending baflies forming air passages into thefiume on the discharge side of said depending baflles.

6. A fiume comprising walls forming a bottom and sides,an inlet at oneend to admit a stream of liquid, an outlet. at theopposite end todischarge said liquid, a sec tion altop forming a removable cover, and aseries of transverse battles within the fiume with part of said seriesof baffles extending vertically upward from the bottom and partextending vertically downward from the top to an intermediate point inthe height of the fiume, and with the upper edge of said upwardlyextending bafiles in a plane above the plane ofthe lower edge of thedepending baffles. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ELGIE o. AULD.

